Hello and welcome to runEHM and our latest blog.
Many of our blogs stem from runners stories. Runners being runners the blogs on the whole are positive, full of inspiration and tales of how an individuals can overcome almost any obstacle. But on rare occasion we have to deal with the downside of things, this is one of them times.
So, not so long ago we asked our running friends over at English Half Marathon about the blackening of toenails and indeed the losing them altogether.
Before we get into this here is the question and response to the “runEHM question of the day”!
Question:-
Running and loosing toe nails? Have any of our runners experienced this? Can people give us some feedback? Let’s have your Toe Stories_________
Mike Kay Lost one recently and one's black on my other foot. I think my next pair of running shoes need to be 1/2 a size bigger! I'll post pics if you like!
Caroline Woods Seriously though, why does it happen?
English Half Marathon Getting a good idea of the problem, we have an expert who Im going to feed this to and hope to get some good answers and advice!
Lisa Jefferies I know a few people that has suffered from this , thankfully I've been ok so far x
Caroline Woods No experience from me but in scared of this happening!
Caroline Woods You know you loved seeing my horses teeth! I'll loan out my fallen toe nails lol
Mike Kay Ok you asked! don’t look if you're having your supper!
Ben North Yep I have the runners toe! One black nail from last years EHM and never gone back to normal
Rebecca Buscombe Was Jones Lots of black ones and some completely off. Until I started getting trainers 1.5 sizes too big, with running socks with very little seams.
Best one was after Anglesey marathon. Took my socks off and something fell out. Was all of the skin plus my toe nail of my little toe? It had just peeled off. Kids thought it hilarious, rolled it over their little finger & chased each other around with it!!! X
Best one was after Anglesey marathon. Took my socks off and something fell out. Was all of the skin plus my toe nail of my little toe? It had just peeled off. Kids thought it hilarious, rolled it over their little finger & chased each other around with it!!! X
Jason X Hearne I've always made sure my running shoes have room in the toe box and always keep my nails trim. If there's no friction, there is no blister which means nails stay intact.
Sharon Ashley Rebecca that is quite nauseous for this time of night but I suffered with this a year ago trainers were fine upto 10miles then I couldn't run they needed to be at least 1/2 size bigger !!
English Half Marathon Why is that Ste. Can you expand on it a bit please? Our runners would be very greatful, as would we!
Edyta Burgess Ended up loosing one after last years Manchester Marathon, it took me about 6 months to grow it back, full size bigger trainers for me since then :D
John Mcmanniman Always cut your toenails before racing
Andrea Hill-Jones Yep lost nail after Liverpool marathon. Hasn't really grown back much but have Manchester marathon next week so at least I don't have to worry about losing it as is gone. No pain at all which is all I need :)
Liesl Hacker I got bruised big toe nail in last year's EHM. Not yet grown out but nearly back to normal :-)
Sonya Waldron Caroline if you lose any toe nails do not bring them in like a show and tell ... Already seen Henry's teeth!!!! X
English Half Marathon Hahaha
Claire Hawthorne Heard of it a lot a few friends have lost them! Eww! Trainers too small can be an issue hope this helps.
English Half Marathon Shoe size is an issue, lots of runners reporting that! Thanks
Tracey Fisher Never lost a nail but one toe nail seems to be permanently black
English Half Marathon Plenty of shoe size issues coming up.
Caroline Johnson Always used to get my toenail falling off due to over pronating , up and running in Manchester are ace and fitted me with the correct asics trainers and it’s never happened since :) worth a trip and investing in right footwear
English Half Marathon The right footwear is a must, we have to agree with you.
Claire Parkin I lost 3 nails at once. They went black first and slowly over 2 months fell off and then took another 2-3 months to grow back. No pain though! :) I've accepted that I'll never have good looking feet as long as I'm still running!
Julia White I haven't lost any yet but had a nasty blister on the end of my toe and now the nail is discoloured. The skin still isn't right and I'm debating going to a chiropodist. Can anyone recommend a good one?
I've now changed my running shoes - fortunately it's not getting any worse :-)
I've now changed my running shoes - fortunately it's not getting any worse :-)
English Half Marathon We will cover getting treatment etc when we do a full review of this. Very interesting night topic though.
Alli Marshall Not lost any toe nails & I have trainers 1/2 a size bigger.
English Half Marathon Thats a positive outcome on giving your shoe an extra bit of size!
English Half Marathon Interest feedback so soon! Keep them coming in. We have an expert who is going to help us get to the bottom of this. Cheers guys!
Charlotte Ward Have lost pretty much every nail at some point! Good fitting trainers with wider/taller toe box helps - but don't forget good fitting socks which can shrink when u wash them! Trick is to burst the blister under the nail ASAP to prevent the nail from lifting - relieves pressure - nails recover loads quicker! Think I just have very soft/weak nails that damage easily! Not a good summer/party look!
Sonya Waldron Caroline I will vomit!!!!!!
Edward Stokes Not lost any but had the odd black toe nail
Katie Johnson Oh it's usually after a race except once at 10 miles and I could feel it in my sock eww
Ste Hughes I wear normal size shoes always have Asics are my choice never got black toe nails until I jumped on a bike I did some research and this is commonin cyclists
Helen Borking Never lost a toenail & wear trainers half a size bigger. Also wear 1000 mile socks (which are basically 2 pairs sewn together). My trainer of choice has a bigger toe area too. I'm currently wearing Asics Kayano 19's and love em, comfiest I've had so far! HTH
Danny David Clarke Honestly hand on heart im still learning, I wear thick socks and correct sized trainers when I do long distant running
Claire Parkin The trainers I have now are Brooks Ghost. The ones I lost most my nails with were Saucony Triumph.
Ste Hughes At least 6 months
Danny David Clarke Got Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon in just over 2 weeks hopflully wont suffer too much all round including my toes :)
Ste Hughes They take ages Ben
Cheryl Maire Was Bullen My big toe nail has turned all black, so I will prob loose it after my marathon, :(
Ste Hughes Cycling is a big culprit of causi this I never really suffered until I started spinning classes with my running
Katie Johnson I also get blood blisters under my toenails which is a pain. Bigger shoes are a must and compeed are worth every penny . I haven't found any expensive runner's socks that help if anyone has any recommendations?
That was the response from our Facebook group runners.
At a glance we can see it’s a problem that many runners will face at some stage of their running exploits. As usual we will deal with this in no nonsense terms and go straight to the heart of the matter.
Pause...........
OK so we can’t go straight to the heart of the matter because after some time re- searching the issue, it’s far more complex than it would first appear to be. We normally spend a few hours researching our blogs and then that gets backed up or has support from our own experiences and that of our runners. However this subject has brought up lots of answers and question to answers, even from the experts. For now we’re going to deal with just two, what would be termed as the layman’s view. It's clear that getting the right shoe is the very first must do thing to prevent any kind of foot or toe injury. Here are top tips direct from Asics on how to put a little more thought into that all important running shoe purchase.
Running Shoes & Socks!
Get to know your personal running style in order to find running shoes that are perfect for you.
A comfortable running shoe is a shoe that fits, but finding one is not always easy. There’s a science to the way you walk and run (your gait) and, since you spend a lot of time in a pair of shoes, it's worth the effort of getting to know your personal running style in order to find a pair of trainers that are perfect for you.
1. Intended Use
The range of shoes in a store can be daunting, but you can exclude a vast number of models straightaway by focusing on what exactly you're going to be doing with them. Will you be road running, running on a purpose-built track or perhaps on a forest trail? All these surfaces require a different kind of shoe. Another basic distinction is between racing and training shoes.
1. Intended Use
The range of shoes in a store can be daunting, but you can exclude a vast number of models straightaway by focusing on what exactly you're going to be doing with them. Will you be road running, running on a purpose-built track or perhaps on a forest trail? All these surfaces require a different kind of shoe. Another basic distinction is between racing and training shoes.
2. Pronation Type
Pronation is the term used for the way your foot rolls when you walk and run. Essentially, when buying any kind of sport shoe, you should know your pronation type first. This is exactly the sort of knowledge that, if adhered to, could prevent bleeding blisters and the like. Each shoe on the market is suitable for a type of pronation. Your pronation type determines how much and where you need support and cushioning in your shoe. You can find out what your pronation type is by getting an expert gait analysis done for you – many specialist running retail stores will offer this service.
Pronation is the term used for the way your foot rolls when you walk and run. Essentially, when buying any kind of sport shoe, you should know your pronation type first. This is exactly the sort of knowledge that, if adhered to, could prevent bleeding blisters and the like. Each shoe on the market is suitable for a type of pronation. Your pronation type determines how much and where you need support and cushioning in your shoe. You can find out what your pronation type is by getting an expert gait analysis done for you – many specialist running retail stores will offer this service.
3. Size: Length
Most people have a very fixed idea about their shoe size. However, there is no real universal guide and the size of your shoe can still vary depending on what type you buy. Keep an open mind with your shoe size and remember the following: your foot will need more room the more you run. The further you run the more your foot will naturally expand. This means it's wise to have just a little extra room in your shoe. Generally, you should be able to measure a finger's width of space between your big toe and the tip of the shoe. You may even need to move up a whole size from your standard shoe size for longer distance running. Black, bruised or even lost toenails are signs of trauma suffered by toes hitting the inside of a shoe, so review your size of shoe if this is a problem for you.
Most people have a very fixed idea about their shoe size. However, there is no real universal guide and the size of your shoe can still vary depending on what type you buy. Keep an open mind with your shoe size and remember the following: your foot will need more room the more you run. The further you run the more your foot will naturally expand. This means it's wise to have just a little extra room in your shoe. Generally, you should be able to measure a finger's width of space between your big toe and the tip of the shoe. You may even need to move up a whole size from your standard shoe size for longer distance running. Black, bruised or even lost toenails are signs of trauma suffered by toes hitting the inside of a shoe, so review your size of shoe if this is a problem for you.
4. Size: Width
The width of your shoe is equally as important as the length when it comes to a good fit. People are not always built in perfect proportion and often have wider or narrower feet than the 'norm'. People who have problems with the width of a shoe will have too much friction between their foot and the shoe, and risk getting blisters as a result of that movement. If you recognise this problem from your own experience, consider a shoe with a specially wide or narrow last.
The width of your shoe is equally as important as the length when it comes to a good fit. People are not always built in perfect proportion and often have wider or narrower feet than the 'norm'. People who have problems with the width of a shoe will have too much friction between their foot and the shoe, and risk getting blisters as a result of that movement. If you recognise this problem from your own experience, consider a shoe with a specially wide or narrow last.
5. Weight
Weight refers to two things. First the weight of the runner. If you are a heavy or bigger built runner then you may need a shoe with a lot of support. The other weight consideration is that of the shoe. Generally, since you are going to be wearing your shoes (carrying them, effectively) for many kilometres, the lighter they are the better. Your feet have to support you a long way and so the shoe should move with you, not weigh you down. The good news is shoes are generally getting lighter and lighter as new materials are developed.
Weight refers to two things. First the weight of the runner. If you are a heavy or bigger built runner then you may need a shoe with a lot of support. The other weight consideration is that of the shoe. Generally, since you are going to be wearing your shoes (carrying them, effectively) for many kilometres, the lighter they are the better. Your feet have to support you a long way and so the shoe should move with you, not weigh you down. The good news is shoes are generally getting lighter and lighter as new materials are developed.
6. Socks
When you are buying shoes try them on in the evening (when your foot is slightly bigger) and try them on with running socks. There is a wide range available, with socks which are specifically designed for running and vastly improve the feeling of comfort and support inside the shoe. It is even possible to buy socks which have been custom designed to match with a particular shoe design.
When you are buying shoes try them on in the evening (when your foot is slightly bigger) and try them on with running socks. There is a wide range available, with socks which are specifically designed for running and vastly improve the feeling of comfort and support inside the shoe. It is even possible to buy socks which have been custom designed to match with a particular shoe design.
Shoes and socks together create the ultimate fit, and provide a healthy environment for your foot, minimising heat, friction and moisture – which can only improve your comfort and, by extension, your performance.
In conclusion................
Do a bit of homework before going out and parting with your cash.
If you have any injuries to your feet get advice from a specialist
Look after your feet, they're a one time deal.
So that's the basic, we will come back to this again and look at runners gait etc in the near future. We will also cover some aspects of barefoot or minimalist running. I published a blog about my own experience of this last year.
Enjoy your running and until next time, let's get some miles in!
runEHM
